At this point in his career, it wouldn't be unfair to say that Dave Franco is best known as a comedic actor and the younger brother of James Franco. But while his most famous roles are probably in Now You See Me, 21 Jump Street and Neighbors, Dave Franco is continuing to branch out beyond those types of films, and his latest role looks to be his most emotionally powerful yet. Dave Franco stars opposite Broad City's Abbi Jacobson in Netflix's 6 Balloons, and based on the trailer, he is turning in a dark and powerful performance.
This trailer certainly gets dark quick and shows that this will probably not be an easy film to watch. What's effective about this trailer is that it shows Dave Franco's character, Seth, being a bright and happy person and having fun with his sister and daughter before we learn what's really going on: he's a heroin addict. We don't find out a lot about him here, but we do see quick glimpses of Seth going through withdrawal and begging for another fix. Dave Franco looks to be giving a raw and emotional performance here as Seth struggles with his addiction as it impacts the lives of those around him.
6 Balloons seems to be telling this story from Abbi Jacobson's Katie's perspective. Her character is in the extremely difficult position of having someone she loves at the mercy of his own addiction. Katie confronting Seth about his addiction is an incredibly tough situation to be in, and one that unfortunately many people have had to experience. Katie always wants to believe in him and hope that he can overcome this, and as a result she winds up enabling him. By the looks of the trailer, Seth's life isn't the only one put in danger as a result of his addiction.
Netflix's original movies have gained a lot of attention of late, as the streaming service has pumped out buzzworthy and flashy titles from exciting creatives, only for those films to fall short critically. 6 Balloons comes from writer and director Marja-Lewis Ryan, and this is the kind of independent-type film that the Netflix model allows for. A small film from a relatively unknown director about heroin addiction isn't exactly box office gold, but hopefully with the opioid epidemic remaining a real issue in America, this movie will provide a nuanced take on the subject, showing that addicts do not exist in a vacuum, but they are people with families who care about them.
In addition to 6 Balloons, Dave Franco next stars in his brother's The Disaster Artist follow-up, Zeroville, and then he joins Oscar-winner and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins next film, If Beale Street Could Talk. 6 Balloons premieres on Netflix April 6. Check out our guide to see all the biggest Netflix original movies hitting the service in the near future.
